NOAA,
the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
is a science-based agency with nearly 12,500 employees across the nation
who work each day to preserve the nation’s natural resources,
protect the lives and property of its citizens and support the economy.

The
agency conducts research and gathers data about the global oceans, atmosphere,
space, and sun, and applies this knowledge to science and service supporting
the nation. NOAA provides weather information, conducts research on
climate on the land, in the air and oceans, warns of dangerous weather,
charts the seas and guides the use and protection of ocean and coastal
resources. NOAA’s services are involved with about 30 percent
of the nation’s gross domestic product, about $3 trillion of America’s
economy.

“NOAA
is where science gains value for the nation,” said retired Navy
Vice Admiral Conrad
C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and
atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Americans look to NOAA for
an incredible variety of services and support ranging from the local
weather forecast, for a sustainable supply of quality seafood, to the
safe transport of millions of tons of waterborne cargo, to keep the
ocean coastline safe and vibrant, and maintain detailed research on
the climate from the frozen arctic to the depths of the oceans.”

Listed
below are representative NOAA achievements under the Bush administration
in 2004:

NOAA
continued to exercise international leadership in the development
of a coordinated, comprehensive, and sustained Global Earth Observation
System of Systems (GEOSS) including playing a key role in the developing
the draft Strategic Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation
System.

In
partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, NOAA converted
its Weather Radio program into an all-hazards warning system. Through
WARN, the NOAA Weather, Alert and Readiness Network, alerts can be
delivered nationally, regionally or locally, giving DHS a strengthened
capability to send emergency messages to national and targeted populations
with minimum delay.

The
3,000,000th Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) was downloaded in
July 2004. NOAA ENCs are perhaps the most critical component of NOAA's
suite of navigation tools.

NOAA
successfully partnered with more than 500 community groups to restore
more than 3,700 acres of habitat. Since 2001, NOAA has restored 11,000
habitat acres and opened 555 stream miles, with goals of 30,000 acres
restored and 13,000 miles opened over the next five years.

NOAA
led hundreds of government and university scientists from across the
country and in western Europe to sample the quality of the air this
summer in the largest air quality and climate study to date as part
of the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport
and Transformation. Part of that study concentrated on the Northeast
in the New England Air Quality Study.
The 2004 status of stocks report showed that 10 stocks were taken
off the overfished list as they continue to rebuild; six stocks were
taken off the overfishing list, and four stocks were declared fully
rebuilt.

NOAA
correctly predicted an above normal hurricane season. The agency’s
five-day forecasts were better than three-day forecasts ten years
ago, saving untold lives. NOAA’s response before, during and
after the hurricanes earned praise from Congress in resolutions passed
by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

NOAA
aircraft logged over 475 flight hours, flew more than 100,000 nautical
miles of track lines, and deployed over 1,200 dropsondes into storms
during the 2004 hurricane season.

NOAA’s
Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) System aided in
rescuing over 220 lives in U.S. waters and across the country.

NOAA
commissioned the U.S. Climate Reference Network (CRN), which now contains
70 stations across the U.S. reducing scientific uncertainty on long-term
temperature and precipitation trends has been reduced from 5 percent
to 3.5 percent for temperature, and from 16 percent to less than 10
percent for precipitation.

NOAA
began issuing Air Quality Forecasts for the Northeastern United States
as part of a joint project with the Environmental Protection Agency
and will implement the forecasts nationwide over the next few years.

NOAA
increased its number of active research and survey ships from 15 to
17, acquired two additional former Navy ships for conversion, and
reduced the average age of its fleet from 33.6 years to 28.2 years.

NOAA
is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through
the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and
providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and
marine resources.